ST. GEORGE — Two people were taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George after a driver from Cache County reportedly got disoriented and took the off-ramp to get on to Interstate 15 about 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The northbound Ford pickup truck slammed head-on into a southbound Chevy pickup.

A driver from northern Utah was disoriented Sunday morning and got on Interstate 15 going the wrong way. He slammed into another pickup on the collector road. St. George, Utah, April 2, 2017 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

“The gentleman driving the Ford pickup that was towing the trailer with an off-road vehicle in the trailer somehow got disoriented when he was getting on the freeway … going northbound in the southbound collector lane,” Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Larry Mower said.

There were two cars headed directly at the wrong-way driver, Mower said. A car was able to avoid the pickup, but the Chevy pickup truck behind the car wasn’t so fortunate. The Chevy driver, identified by UHP trooper Seth Spencer as a LaVerkin man, didn’t have enough time to swerve, and he hit the Ford head on.

“There’s been a couple people taken to the hospital,” Mower said. “The injuries are not life-threatening, I would say possibly critical condition; but they’re actually looking pretty good, all things considered.”

Mower said the occupants of the vehicles were rather lucky.

“They were very fortunate, yes. Airbags deployed, seat belts were being worn and I think that made a big difference,” he said. “I think had somebody not been wearing the seat belt, there’s a good chance they could have gone into or possibly even through the windshield.”

The collector road was slowed and drivers were exiting onto Dixie Drive then back onto the freeway southbound. The lane blockage lasted about an hour while investigation and cleanup occurred.

Units from the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded to the scene.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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A driver from northern Utah was disoriented Sunday morning and got on Interstate 15 going the wrong way. He slammed into another pickup on the collector road. St. George, Utah, April 2, 2017 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

A driver from northern Utah was disoriented Sunday morning and got on Interstate 15 going the wrong way. He slammed into another pickup on the collector road. St. George, Utah, April 2, 2017 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

A driver from northern Utah was disoriented Sunday morning and got on Interstate 15 going the wrong way. He slammed into another pickup on the collector road. St. George, Utah, April 2, 2017 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

A driver from northern Utah was disoriented Sunday morning and got on Interstate 15 going the wrong way. He slammed into another pickup on the collector road. St. George, Utah, April 2, 2017 | Photo by Ric Wayman, St. George News

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About the Author

"I wrote my first word when I was very young. I enjoyed this so much I decided to write many more words."
A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Ric was bitten by the news bug as a staff writer and associate editor of the Palisades High School Tideline. After school he entered the media as a radio personality, both playing music and reporting news. Ric moved to St. George in the 1980s and was the morning personality on all three major AM stations in town. An avid amateur radio operator, Ric is looking for a good band to play in, as he plays keyboards, bass and guitar. Ric lives in the center of St. George with his partner Terri, two snoring dogs and too many neurotic cats.

4 Comments

That’s why I gothru bloomington to get on the highway, the design of these ramps and exits crisscrossing have been dangerous since they built it a few years ago and is going to get worse, not sure how the engineers sleep at night..mthe re are too many signs ,when coming from Bloomngton north, there are 3 different salt lake signs and some get off at bluff st or Dixie , it’s very confusing and you n,t gave tme to read them.. Going south is worse coming from bluff st.its so dangerous

Criss crossing onramps, almost as safe as the fabled “round abouts” …way to go Udot, lets be like europe, they’re the real trend setters….hey we almost have a autobahn, heck let’s show ’em, remove all speed limits,,,,we can do it USA USA